Jack-o-lantern Pictures

What used to be a quaint Halloween tradition is rapidly expanding into a more elaborate art form, involving hours of work taking an ordinary pumpkin and turning it into something special. Jack-o-lanterns are a traditional Halloween decoration which involves the carving a face or design onto a pumpkin and placing a candle inside to illuminate it. Most people have fond childhood memories of carving the pumpkin, which also involved the removal of several hand-fulls of gooey pumpkin guts, then setting it out about a week before Halloween. They never really lasted, since a few days after Halloween they turned into a rotting pile of orange goo, but they were still fun before that. Most people who celebrate Halloween put out Jack-o-lanterns to show they have the spooky spirit.

Here are a few Jack-o-lantern pictures o stir up some new creative ideas for your next Jack-o-lantern.

	Jack-o-lanterns can be made to look like almost anything. Traditionally, they are only supposed to have a triangle nose, eyes and jagged toothed mouth, or at least that's what my parents told me. I think they were just lazy. Designs for Jack-o-lanterns have evolved greatly over the years, with elaborate carving kits allowing you to make realistic portraits on the pumpkin.
The Jack-o-lantern is an Irish tradition that was brought over to the U.S. The name comes from a few conflicting stories, one being the story of a miserable dead Irishman who had to walk in limbo with a candle in a hollowed out turnip, and the other states the name comes from the odd phenomenon of light dancing out in the bogs. This Jack-o-lantern picture shows one with ovular eyes and mouth, and it looks like it's moaning or singing.
	Here's a traditional Jack-o-lantern, with triangle eyes, nose and teeth. Many people still stick with this traditional approach, but still add some of their own style and creativity to it.
Many home have taken to putting out more than one Jack-o-lantern during Halloween. These show a wide variety of styles, and make any home look more like it's ready to trick-or-treaters.
	Many of the newer carving kits don't involve just cutting the pumpkin, but shaving it as well. No, it doesn't have a beard, but taking off the first few layers of pumpkin meat allows the light to come through, allowing for more design options. It also make the Jack-o-lantern much nicer to look at during the day.
It's Mario from Super Mario 3. With a raccoon tail. These are the kind of jack-o-lanterns you can make with a little time and patience.
	Someone likes Harry Potter. Typically, stencils are used for some of the more elaborate designs. If one wrong cut is made, then the pumpkin may be ruined. If you are going to try carving out and elaborate design, then make sure you use a stencil.
The Death Star, which is now my plan for a jack-o-lantern this next Halloween. Children should only carve jack-o-lanterns under close adult supervision. Even the knives and cutting tools designed for children can be dangerous, and they should be monitored closely while using them.
	Remember, Halloween isn't just for children. If you're going to party, don't wind up like this jack-o-lantern and do so responsibly.

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